As a consultant, I often have prospects trying to buy my services by promising me leads or “exposure.”  Those results are beneficial but they don’t put food on my table or pay my rent.  Know what does?

Money does.

Now take what I just said and translate that to a company.  A business can’t pay its employees with tweets.  It can’t build a new factory paid for with impressions.  That takes money.

Are you really surprised then, when executives want a social ROI to forecast the revenue or savings potential from undertaking what could be a six- to seven-figure social investment?  They need to know how much Money Out and In to expect to run the business.

To me, any corporate initiative should be able to stand the test of economic analysis -- and no, marketing isn't excused.